Effect of alveolar ridge preservation on peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis prevalence: A multicenter, cross-sectional study

Objectives: Alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) is a procedure with the aim to reduce bone resorption that occurs after tooth extraction, facilitating the following implant placement. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the prevalence of mucositis and peri-implantitis around implants inserted in sites treated with ARP and to investigate possible risk factors. Materials and methods: Patients who received at least one dental implant inserted in a grafted socket were considered eligible for this study. Patients were recalled for a follow-up visit; medical history, clinical and demographic data were collected. Univariate logistic regression analyses have been performed for both implant-level and patient-level variables. Indeed, moderation analysis was used to investigate the indirect relationship between age and marginal bone level. Results: Fifty-one patients who received 61 implants were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Thirty-three implants were classified as "healthy" (54.1%), 23 implants showed signs of peri-implant mucositis (37.7%), and 5 implants were diagnosed with peri-implantitis (8.2%). Data analyzed at the patient level showed that 49% of the patients were healthy, 45.1% of the patients had mucositis and 5.9% of the patients were affected by peri-implantitis. Mandibular sites and type III grafted sockets showed a significant association with peri-implantitis; in addition, a history of periodontitis and an increase in age showed higher risks of developing mucositis or peri-implantitis. Conclusions: Implants inserted in grafted sockets showed favorable rates of healthy implants in the long term. Clinical relevance: The ridge preservation procedures do not seem to increase the risk of developing mucositis or peri-implantitis.